The Twin Cities Real Estate Investing Show

#30 - How Steve "The Uptown Guy" Taylor Made a Fortune in S Mpls

The Twin Cities Real Estate Investing Show #30
"How Steve "The Uptown Guy" Taylor Made a Fortune in S Mpls
Steve Taylor is a real estate broker, manager, and investor operating out of Lowry Hill Minneapolis. Steve came to the states from his home country of New Zealand back in the early 2000s, landing in Minnesota shortly after the real estate crash of 08. Steve immediately saw opportunity where others did not, buying up small multifamily properties in the Uptown and surrounding neighborhoods of South Minneapolis. Today Steve has his broker's license in multiple states, and (similar to other guests) is now focused on using his REI background to build a tech-focused business. 
We talk with Steve about his start 20 some years ago in the states, growing his portfolio in Uptown, watching multiple neighborhood cycles, local politics, and a lot more. We'd love to have him back when he can tell us more about his goals in the real estate brokering space nationwide , as we didn't have time this episode to dive into his current project. 
 
Adam Tafel is a Realtor and landlord out of Highland Park, St Paul. You can email him at Adam@UpsidePropertySales.com.
 
Tim Swierczek is a mortgage loan officer and investor living in White Bear Lake, MN. Say "hi" to Tim at tim@timswierczek.com. 
 
Check out show notes at TwinCitiesRealEstateInvesting.com. 
 
Adam and Tim would love to meet with you! Schedule a 1 on 1 at TwinCitiesRealEstateInvesting.com/schedule
 

#29 - "Achieving FIRE without the Burnout" w/ Alyssa Strom

Twin Cities Real Estate Investing Show # 28
"Achieving FIRE without the Burnout w/ Alyssa Strom"
Alyssa Strom is a local real estate investor from Superior, WI. Her journey into real estate investing began in 2014 after reading Rich Dad, Poor Dad, which inspired her to pursue financial and lifestyle freedom through real estate. Since then, she has been involved in property management, real estate development, and has owned multiple investment properties. Alyssa is passionate about assisting others in achieving their financial goals through real estate.
 
Alyssa is the perfect guest for this show - she's got some cool stories, lots of wisdom, and shares our mutual love for all things related Twin Cities REI. She's gone through a handful of challenges, deals which started going one direction and ended up another, and yet through it all Alyssa maintains a fantastic attitude and resilience. We are excited to have her back for a future episode highlighting her impressive networking resume - something we didn't have time to get into today.
 
Adam Tafel is a Landlord and Real Estate Agent living in Highland Park. He would love it if you emailed him at Adam @ UpsidePropertySales.com.
 
Tim Swierczek is a Mortgage Loan Officer and Real Estate Investor living in White Bear Lake. Find out more about Tim at TimSwierczek.com.
 
Adam and Tim would like to meet with you. Book a private 1on1 (or 1on2) at TwinCitiesRealEstateInvesting.com/schedule.

#28 - SF Strategy to App Development (plus St Paul Rent Control Update) w/ Oliver Lerner

Twin Cities Real Estate Investing Show #28 
"From Single Family Strategy to Software Development w/ Oliver Lerner"
Oliver Lerner is a real estate investor and tech entrepreneur living in Golden Valley, MN. He got his start shortly after college by houshacking a string of SF homes in St Louis Park. Oliver went on to buy more and more homes once he was done occupying each deal - now he self-manages 10 SF rentals, all in Saint Louis Park. Oliver is also the founder of ShukRentals - an app which aims to "rid the world of slumlords". 
 
Oliver has great energy and is a fantastic storyteller. His passion for taking care of his tenants and frustration with other landlord-facing apps lead him to develop his own, and that's where 100% of his focus is aimed these days. We talk about how he got started and scaled his portfolio, trouble with the city, landscaping woes, and so much more. We'd love if all of our listeners check out ShukRentals.com and show Oliver and his team some TCREI love! 
 
Adam Tafel is a Landlord and Realtor living in Highland Park. Email him at Adam@UpsidePropertySales.com.
 
Tim Swierczek is a mortgage lender and investor out of White Bear Lake. You can learn more about Tim by going to TimSwierczek.com.
 
Adam and Tim would love to meet with you! Schedule a one-on-one at TwinCitiesRealEstateInvesting.com/schedule. 

#27 - Inside the Mind of a Twin Cities Wholesaler w/ Brad Smith

Twin Cities Real Estate Investing Show # 27 
"Inside the Mind of a Wholesaler with Brad Smith" 
 
Brad Smith is the owner/operation of iBuyMSP, a local wholesaling company. Brad sits down with the boys for an hour and shares his mindset, approach, frustrations, and unique insights into the world of wholesaling in the Twin Cities. 
 
Brad got his MN start in the contracting world, a perfect resume for a good investor/wholesaler. We really only scratch the surface of how much valuable information a guy like Brad can bring to our show, and I'm looking forward to booking him a second time later this year. 
Adam Tafel is a Realtor and landlord out of St Paul. You can find out more about his business at UpsidePropertySales.com. 
Tim Swierczek is a mortgage lender and real estate investor living in White Bear Lake. Find out more about Tim at timswierczek.com
Adam and Tim would love to meet with you! Schedule a one on one by going to TwinCitiesRealEstateInvesting.com/schedule.

#26 - For the Love of Old Homes w/ Claire Johnston

Twin Cities Real Estate Investing Show #26
"For the Love of Old Homes w/ Claire Johnston" 
 
If you listen to this podcast, there is a pretty good chance you follow @minncenturymod on instagram. And if you don't - now you do! Claire Johnston began posting her DIY home renovation journey back in 2018, bought her first rental in 2020, and then got her real estate license ... and the rest is history! 
 
We talk with Claire about her journey from DIYer to influencer and her transition from corporate work to self-employment. Her portfolio may be small (so far..) but she is going for quality over quantity , and not slowing down anytime soon. This is just my opinion, but I think a lot of Claire's success on social media is due to her top-notch instincts when it comes to color and design, along with how she makes home renovating feel accessible to the newbs online. 
 
Adam Tafel is a Realtor and Real Estate Investor living in Highland Park. You can reach him at Adam@UpsidePropertySales.com.
 
Tim Swierczek is a Mortgage Lender out of White Bear Lake. Find out more about Tim at TimSwierczek.com.
 
Check out TwinCitiesRealEstateInvesting.com for show notes and other info! Adam and Tim would love to meet with you! Book an appointment at TwinCitiesRealEstateInvesting.com/Schedule. 

#25 - How Matt Schober Invests Intelligently and Consistently with a Day Job

Twin Cities Real Estate Investing Show #25 How Matt Schober Invests Intelligently and Consistently with a Day Job
 
Matt Schober is a real estate investor living in St Paul. Matt got his start investing out of state after college - and immediately got the investing bug. He then moved back to the Twin Cities with his family, investing in a string of 1-4 unit properties throughout Minneapolis. Today Matt runs a tech-focused consulting business, meaning that focusing on his properties is no longer the highest and best use of his time - and he’s structured his life around this reality.
 
Matt goes through the timeline of his investing journey, moving his wealth from another market into the Twin Cities, and how his experience has sharpened his analysis skills. Tim and Adam then jump into some macro economics discussions surrounding the tariffs, and how this may or may not affect our local REI market.
 
Adam Tafel is a Real Estate Agent living in Highland Park. Email him at Adam@UpsidePropertySales.com. 
 
Tim Swierczek is a Mortgage Loan Broker out of White Bear Lake. Find out more about Tim at TimSwierczek.com. 
 
Adam and Tim would love to meet with you! Reach out at TwinCitiesRealEstateInvesting.com/schedule. 

#24 - How Tucker Mortier Went From Newbie to 10 Doors in 3 Years

Twin Cities Real Estate Investing Show #24
"How Tucker Mortier Went From Newbie to 10 Doors in 3 Years"
 
Tucker Mortier is a real estate investor living in St Paul. His impressive run of 3 owner-occupied duplexes in 3 years is a great blueprint for anyone looking to leverage a few moves into a modest portfolio of small multifamily. Tucker isn’t slowing down anytime soon, having just closed his first commerical deal on a contract for deed.
 
Tucker is a real easy-going guy, doesn’t take things too seriously.  We hear about some of his landlord-tenant relation struggles, duplex negotiations, and how he managed to pull of one of the best seller-finance terms we’ve heard on this show. We’d love to have Tucker back on the show 3 years from now to see how far he takes this winning streak!
 
Adam Tafel is a Real Estate Agent living in Highland Park. Email him at Adam@UpsidePropertySales.com. 
 
Tim Swierczek is a Mortgage Loan Broker out of White Bear Lake. Find out more about Tim at TimSwierczek.com. 
 
Adam and Tim would love to meet with you! Reach out at TwinCitiesRealEstateInvesting.com/schedule. 

#23 - Spring Market Update

Twin Cities Real Estate Investing Show #23 - Spring Market Update
 
Just the home team for this episode - Adam and Tim break down the current state of the Twin Cities housing market and dive into some deals we have pending for clients and friends. 
Topics in Order
Market update
March 2025 closed sales with Home Free TC
March 1-21, 2025: Fully Accepted Offers
 Inspections waived: 27% ↘
 Pre-MLS sales: 12% ↘
 Cash: 18% ↘, Conventional: 70% ↗, FHA: 9% ↗, VA: 1% ↘
 Average purchase to list price: 100.6% ↘
 Median purchase to list price: 100%
 Seller contribution towards buyer's closing costs: 28% ↗
 Home warranties included: 7% ↗
 Contingent on the sale of the buyer's home: 9% ↗
 Escalation clauses included: 9%
 Appraisal gaps included in 15% of financed purchases ↘
 Cancellation rate: 9% ↗
** no ↗ or ↘ indicates the same week over week.
Recent Sales Data from Realtors Association
Listings, Transaction Volume, Median Sales Price
Deals That are Working & Why
East Side 4-plex
Selby Dale 3-plex
Crocus Hill 2-plex (4000 Sqft, contract for deed at 4%)
Stillwater SFR with ADU
Housing Supply approximate annual numbers
Adam's Prediction on the Future of Single Family Rentals
Rosemount 6-unit $10,200 rent $906K price
We end the show talking about the Meet-up, the types we do, and the benefits we receive from doing them.
 
Adam Tafel is a Realtor and Real Estate Investor living in Highland Park. You can reach him at Adam@UpsidePropertySales.com.
 
Tim Swierczek is a Mortgage Lender out of White Bear Lake. You can reach him at Tim@TimSwierczek.com.  or schedule an appointment today here
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TCREI Show #22 - A Broker's Guide to Multifamily in 2025 w/ Nathan Opatz

Twin Cities Real Estate Investing Show #22
"A Broker's Guide to Multifamily" w/ Nathan Opatz
 
Nathan Opatz is a seasoned real estate professional with 24 years of experience, specializing in multifamily properties. His company, Apartment Cash Flow Inc., operates out of Hudson, Wisconsin . Nathan has a proven track record in the real estate market, working with many sellers in the 4-20 unit space. 
 
Nathan is an easy guy to talk to, he's very direct and keeps things simple. You won't hear Nathan speaking in superlatives or exaggerating his success, he keeps it real for 1.5 hours and shares his past, present, and future goals. It ain't easy out there for multifamily buyers, but persistence and consistency are a winning combo in any market. 
 
Adam Tafel is a Real Estate Agent living in Highland Park. Email him at Adam@UpsidePropertySales.com. 
 
Tim Swierczek is a Mortgage Loan Broker out of White Bear Lake. Find out more about Tim at TimSwierczek.com. 
 

TCREI Show #21 - Managing Like a Pro w/ Elzie McGee

The Twin Cities Real Estate Investing Show #21 - Managing Like a Pro w/ Elzie McGee
 
Elzie McGee is a professional property manager from North Minneapolis. He also has his own portfolio of small multifamily properties spread across Minneapolis. Elzie is a true expert in the field of property management - he brings all of his experience as an investor and manager of 1000s of units to this episode. 
 
We talk to Elzie about his upbringing, early career, and first few deals. Elzie is the first in his family to build generational wealth, and he has some interesting viewpoints on the subject. Ultimately, he's a thoughtful/intelligent guy, and we had an interesting conversation, which we both enjoyed quite a bit. We hope you do the same! 
 
Adam Tafel is a Realtor and Real Estate Investor living in Highland Park. You can reach him at Adam@UpsidePropertySales.com.
 
Tim Swierczek is a Mortgage Lender out of White Bear Lake. You can reach him at Tim@TimSwierczek.com. or schedule an appointment today here
 
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